Back to School Singing Time

With the children returning back to school, why not center singing time around a back to school theme? I tried this very thing with my own Primary kids this week and it was a great hit. They enjoyed it and there were several mini gospel lessons learned with ordinary objects. I got some of this idea from a primary music list, but I tweaked it a bit to fit my own primary and style.

I used this opportunity to review the songs that the children will be singing this year in their Sacrament Meeting Program. It was a great review and they had fun without realizing how much they were actually learning and doing. Our singing and sharing time is combined with all of the age groups, so there is a definite balance in keeping the interest of the oldest kids as well as the youngest.

I wrote the names of the eight program songs on the board. I wanted them to think, but I didn’t want to be too mean. I also hid eight stickers under eight different chairs before they came in so that it would be easy to choose my helpers and no one had hurt feelings.

I started by asking the kids what most of them were about to do this month. Of course they all answered that they would be returning to school. I had laid the objects out on a table beforehand and I indicated that I had brought some things that they might see when they returned to school. However, these objects also represented the songs that I had written on the board. They were going to figure out which object went with which song. I had them look under their chairs for the stickers and then we began from the front row to the back.

The first child came up and then chose an object. For the little ones, they just said what they thought the object was named. Then I asked the kids which song did they think went with the object. When they correctly guessed the song, I asked them, “Why?” It was fun to get their answers and some of them were even deeper than I had originally thought we would be going for. I explained that I wanted them to think about these things whenever they saw these ordinary objects at school, and it would help them to have the Spirit with them so they could make good choices throughout the day.

Some of the objects were a little tricky, but the kids really loved the challenge. They also loved trying to figure out why I had chosen a particular item for each song. After our short discussion, we then sang each song. It was a hit and the kids couldn’t wait to see what would be next.

Be sure to adapt this to your primary as needed. You may find you want to have deeper meanings for some of the objects or perhaps make it easier. This will directly depend on the spiritual maturity of the children in your primary. Sometimes simple is best, so keep that in mind. In any case, good luck and remember to have fun!

Here is a list of the songs as they match up with each object as well as a short explanation of why they go together.

READING BOOK: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus (CS, p. 57)

MAP: Called to Serve (CS, p. 174-175)

(The missionaries are teaching the gospel all over the world.)

RULER: We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet (Hymn #19)

(While Christ is our Lord and Ruler, we also have to follow the prophet and obey his "rules".)

ERASER: When Jesus Christ Was Baptized (CS, p. 102)

(Baptism and repentance are just like a giant eraser and erase our sins away)

IDENTIFICATION CARD: I am a Child of God (CS, p. 2)

(Everyone has a very special identification as a Child of God.)

LUNCH BAG: Home (CS, p. 192)

(What ingredients make a happy loving home?)

GLUE: I Love to See the Temple (CS, p. 95)

(The work we do in the temple is the Glue that can make our family become able to stick together forever.)